As winter bears down, signs of cold and darkness abound. The days have become shorter and the nights longer. The last of the mums have now died, and the final vestige of a once-happy harvest season and everyone’s rather pathetic attempt at delaying the inevitable.
I always snicker a bit when the final hardy plants of fall make their appearance. It’s their – and our — attempt to say we have one last trick left up our sleeve. We hunker down, enjoy the delights of the holiday season, and wait for the first snowdrop to lift our spirits.
Personally, I think it’s all about aspiration and subsequent expectation, something to plan for, something to count on, and something on which to then focus our hopes.
There are no guarantees that a planted seed will eventually bloom. One plants, and one hopes. The seed is the embodiment of a gardener’s way of saying, “I believe in nature, I believe in the earth.”
The exquisite, intricate and subtle seed contains not only the blueprint for each plant’s DNA, but also the secret to humanity’s optimism. It is the gift of life.
Give seeds this holiday season. Keep hope alive.
Some of our favorite local purveyors of seedlings, plants and accoutrements include the Hudson Valley Seed Company, Augustine Nursery in Kingston, Davenports in Stone Ridge and the Phantom Gardener in Rhinebeck.
Join the family! 
